A credit card or other similar type card is semi-rigid, very thin, and has standardized dimensions. The card is rectangular in shape, with rounded corners, with the short side being 54 mm and the long side being 85 mm.
A traditional protective case for such a card is a flat, rectangular box, whose dimensions are slightly larger than those of the card. The case is generally made of a plastic material, and is composed of a bottom element and a lid element, both flat and attached to each other. The card can be inserted between these two elements by passage through an open end, in the form of a slot, of the case.
Generally, the lid element has quite a large opening in it, which allows the user to push the card, by means of his thumb, in order to slide lengthwise so as to extract it from the case. Insertion of the card into the case is effected quite simply by inserting it into the slot and then pushing it into the case. These operations are not very convenient, since they involve relative rubbing of the two faces of the card against the internal faces of the case. In the long term, this repeated rubbing can give rise to unwanted wear on the card, and in particular of the parts in relief included on it, especially the embossed printing and/or the magnetic/electronic components.
Through document EP-0 580 890, we are also familiar with a case of the aforementioned type which is equipped with a system to facilitate the extraction of the card. To this end, the lid element of the case is equipped with a small flat bar that is guided in longitudinal translation in the lid element, so that it is able to slide in it. This bar includes a control cursor, which projects from the top of the lid element, and whose travel amplitude in the longitudinal direction is determined by the length of a window created in the lid element. This bar is equipped at its rear side, which is located inside the case, with a claw or a cleat that comes up against the rear transverse edge of the card (the edge that corresponds to one of its small sides). Thus, by moving the cursor to the front, meaning in the direction of the case slot, it is possible to push the card partially out of the case, thereby facilitating its removal, since the card can be gripped more easily when it is partially out of the case.
This relatively sophisticated arrangement is quite expensive to implement, and ill-suited to mass production. Furthermore, the rubbing problem mentioned above is not solved, since both the top face of the card and its bottom face rub against the internal faces of the case during the movements of the bar. It is only the part of the card, of very low width, located under the window and under the control bar, that accompany the bar in its movement and that is therefore not exposed to such rubbing action.
Another drawback of this known device results from the fact that the front section of the flat bar projects below the level of the lid element inside the case, thus constituting an obstacle that hinders the insertion of the card. Certain parts relief, in particular, the printing present on the top of the card, can catch on this edge and can be damaged or worn prematurely.